Marble actuated rotary wheel toy



Nov. 28, 1950 w. A. GARBE 2,531,564

MARBLE ACTUATED ROTARY WHEEL TOY Filed April 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5/4 5 /4' Z7 64 o I. f My Nov. 28, 1950 Filed April 5, 1948 W. A. GARBEMARBLE ACTUATED ROTARY WHEEL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 28, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i MARBLE ACTUATED ROTARY.WHEELTOY Willard.A. Garbe, Oshkosh, .Wisa y Application April 5,1948,"S'erialNo'2'191129 4 Claims. (01., 46-42% ballewith -lthe :latter:dropping from the pocket whemlthe :pocketis; overturned. Each? ballwill efiecteamleastz. one; complete revolution of the wheelaandzthe:wheel will continue its rotation so longrasa-ballis-dropped into thepocket.

Another: object of-this invention is to provide a toygofithis; kindwhich-will not only be a-source of amusement, but will alsobe-instructive and educationalby teachingthe power vderived fromtheforce of gravity and other factors.

Azfurther object of this invention is to provide an i-improvedwmeansfor" successively releasing amarble-or'aball from--the magazine orreservoir for discharge into the pocket of the wheel, and atxthesametime out off or stop the remaining balls. from dropping into thedischarge troughuntil the :latter zissdisposed in receiving position,-

w-hereupon-a forward ball is-released for movementintothe-vdischarge-trough;

To the foregoing'objects, and others which may hereinaftermore-fullyappear; the invention con-l sistsrof @thevrnovel construction;combination" and arrangementjofparts, as will be more specificallyreferredto and illustrated-in the accompanying drawingsbutit is to beunderstood that changes, variations, and modifications maybe resorted towhichfall within: the scope of the invention as claimed;

InQth'e drawings-:1;

Figure -l is-agplanyiew of a toy'or amusement:

deyicezzconstructed according to :an embodiment OfrgthiSlIiVBntiOll;

Figure 2=is.:a detailed side elevation of the device-.1

Figure 13 is a-fragmentarysectionalview. taken onlthe line 8'.3'0fFigure l.

Figured is .a-fragmentary sectional view taken on-the line 4- -4ofFigure 2:

Figure :5 is a'fragmentary' sectional view taken orrrthe line 5-5 of-Figure"3.:

Referring r to :the .rdrawings ,1 the numeral upstanding end wallsligand-J3; The. tray or. baseerlll Ehas fixed=thereto anyupwardlyextending standard rorssupport; generally: designated as: I lvandrwhichrcomprises a pair of elongated ,flat. bars It designatescgenerally a: base 'constructed in; the fdrnriofriatray havingupstandingsides II and 2 l5idisposed'inspaced apart relation and formedwith: downwardly divergent lower portions: 6 ter-i minatingin' verticali-portions I The vvertical portions I are at the lower-"end of thestandard i or-support l kand terminate in inwardly projectinglugsor--feet-l 8 secured byfastening :means 1| 9 to the-bottom wall 28 of: thetray or. base I 9-. n

The parallel bars -I 5 areformed adjacent their upper -ends-- with:right-angularly and outwardly extending members -2 l and upwardlyextending parallelnex-tensions, 2 2: extend. fromthe outer, ends. of theright-angle portions2 l'.

A: magazine or reservoinr generally designated as -23, -is disposedabove the base Wand includes a bottom walk :24, opposite side -.walls:25, and; a rear end tlwall- 26: An upwardlyand rearwardly inclined?bracing and supporting ,bar :2 I is secured between the :base IOand'therear ofthe magazine or reservoir-2 3.: As shown-in Figure 2, the :lo'wenend-of-theabrace or esupport 21 includes a foot pore tion 28which-projects a:shortdistancebelow-the tray I Use that the tray willbedisposed indow-nwardlya and forwardly inclined positionin "order thatthe balls-or marbles willj'roll towardthe front of theftray orcolle'ctori ll The-magazine 23 also includes'a zpair'of fore war-dly-convergentwalls 2 9 ewhich' terminatesinparallel walls-30forming achuteor guide *soithat the balls or marbles willbedisposed insubstantial alignment for droppingofthe balls or marbles one at aetimeonto a' rotating wheelas I will be hereinafter described:- v

The magazine 23 has fixed to the bottom wall 2A- thereofa 'plate-Btwhich extends forwardly and; downwardly and. is provided at'itsforward end with upstanding ears 32 -fixedbyfastening means: 33 ,to'the-vertical extensions 22 of-the standard.- or support-14; The troughformed by the parallel walls 3llh'as fixed'to-the forwardend thereofi'arockab'l'e "delivery trough-l34zi The deev livery trough 34ispivotedas at35 to the forward ends -of the parallel walls '39 :and abalancing device 3611s secured to th'edischarge or delivery trough-fil land projects rearwardly thEIe'Off The balancing devic'efifi includes an'L'-shaped bar 31- having threaded thereon a weight, 38* which projectsrearwardlyof the pivot 35. In this mane he!" the delivery or dischargetrough -34 may b'e maintained: in substantial balance' whenr-itis emptyandwwill be overbalanced whema-ball or marblisdisposed :therein: Thetrough 30has secured Tthereto an" inverted U -shaped l cover 39 and:asto'p; pin 1401's. fixed to an elongated late 41DiVOlZQJHY'JOIilOOSGlY mounted "as-at :42 on the upper-side"ofrthercoveras 9. The stop :member projects loosely through an opening43 formed in the to of the cover 39 and is adapted to engage a ball 44disposed between the sides of the trou h 35 before the ball is releasedas will be hereinafter described, for dropping into the delivery trough34. The cover 39 also includes a right-anaularlv disposed and downwardlyprojecting sto member 4.5 disposed forwardly of t e stop pin 423 so thatwhen a ball is disposed in the delivery trough 34 and the latter is inits inoperative position as shown in Figure 3, the foremost ball 44 willbe held against forward rolling within the trough 34. The plate or bar4! also includes a fork 45 dis osed forwardlv of the stop member 45 andengaging the vertical sides of the trough 34 as shown in Figure 5. Thestop member 45 includes an upwardly projecting bar 4'! loosely engagingthrough a slot or opening 48 formed in the bar 4! between the fork 46and the stop member 4!] as shown in Figure 3. The standard or sup ort I4has mounted between the parallel bars l thereof a wheel 49 rotatablymounted on a pi ot 5f! extending between the parallel bars I5. The periheral surface of the wheel or rotor 49 is of substantially spiralconfiguration and is formed with a shar or abrupt cut-out 5| withinwhich the trough 34 is adapted to dro for releasing the foremost ball ormarble 44. The wheel 49 has secured thereto a pair of outwardly flared gide plates 52 which are secured to the opposite sides of the wheel 29adiacent the cut-out 5! and the wheel 49 is also formed with a pocket53. The pocket 53 is disposed at the forward end of the guides 52 sothat a ball released from and rolling out of the trough 34 will rollonto the guides 52 and will roll lengthwise and forwardly along theguides 52 into the pocket 53. The ocket 53 is provided with a pair offlared wings 54 confronting the guides 52 so that the ball or marblerolling along the guides 52 will positively drop into the pocket 53.

Y In the use and operation of this device the magazine 23 is adapted toinitially receive the balls or marbles and as the magazine 23 isinclined downwardly and forwardly the marbles or balls will roll intothe trough 3|] and the foremost ball or marble will initially strike thestop member 45 and will drop into the re r portion of the deliverytrough 34. The wheel 49 is man ally rotated for at least a portion ofone complete revolution so that the trough 34 will drop downwardly atthe front or receiving end of the pocket 53. At this time the foremostball which was in engagement with stop member 45 will be released and atthe same time bar 4| will drop downwardly so that sto member 4 will enage the next ball or marble 44 and hold the latter against forwardrolling until the deliver trough 34 is raised to its inoperativeposition. The released ball or marble dropping into the pocket 53 willcause wheel 49 to rotate through substantially a complete turn and whentrough as is raised upwardly to its inoperative position which is theposition shown in Figure 3, stop member 45 will be raised to aninoperative position permitting the foremost ball or marble to drop intothe rear of trough'34 and engage stop member 45. It will, therefore, beunderstood that the delivery trough is charged with a ball or marbleafter one ball or marble has been released so that wh n the wheel isrotated to position the pocket adjacent the delivery trough 34. theforemost ball will be released and the next succeeding ball held againstforward movement until the delivery trough is again raised. Each balldropping into the pocket 4 53 will be discharged from this pocket whenthe wheel 49 is rotating with the pocket on the rear side of the wheeland the released ball will drop from pocket 53 into the tray orcollector I0.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a base tray, an upstanding support fixed to saidtray, 2. magazine fixed to the upper end of said support and disposed ina downward and forward inclination, a guide trough extending from theforward end of said magazine, a wheel rotatably carried by said supportbetween said tray and said magazine and formed with a peripheral cutout,a pocket carried by said wheel at one end of said cutout, a deliverytrough rockably disposed at the forward end of said guide trough andengaging the periphery of said wheel whereby the latter will rock saiddelivery trough from a downwardly inclined delivery position within saidcutout to a raised receiving position spaced from said cutout, sphericalwheel operating members engageable in said magazine and said guidetrough, a stop member fixed relative to said guide trough and d sposedforwardly of the latter in a position overlying said delivery troughwhereby the foremost operating member will be held in said deliverytrough when the latter is in a raised inoperative and receivingposition, and means actuated by said delivery trough and adapted toengage the second operating member disposed immediately behind theforemost member upon dropping of said deliverytrough to deliveryposition whereby the second operating member will be held againstmovement into said delivery trough when in delivering position and saidforemost operating member will be released by said stop member forgravitating movement into said pocket for rotating said wheel. 4

2. A toy comprising a base tray, an upstanding support fixed to saidtray, a magazine fixed to the upper end of said support and disposed ina downward and forward inclination, a guide trough extending from theforward end of said magazine, a wheel rotatably carried by said supportbetween said tray and said magazine and formed with a peripheral cutout,a pocket carried by said wheel at one end of said cutout, a' deliverytrough rockably disposed at the forward end of said guide trough andengaging the periphery of said wheel whereby the latter will rock saiddelivery trough from a dropped delivery position within said cutout to araised receiving position spaced from said cutout, spherical wheeloperating members engageable in said magazine and said guide trough, astop member fixed relative to said guide trough and disposed forwardlyof the latter in a position overlying said delivery trough whereby theforemost operating member will be held in said delivery trough when thelatter is in a raised inoperative and receiving position, and meansengageable with the second operating member disposed immediately behindthe foremost member upon dropping of said delivery trough to deliveryposition whereby the latter operating member will be held againstmovement into said delivery trough when in delivering position and saidforemost operating member will be released by said stop member forgravitating movement into said pocket for rotating said wheel, saidmeans including a second stop member operatively engaged with saiddelivery trough the upper end of said support and disposed in a downwardand forward inclination, a guide trough extending from the forward endof said magazine, a wheel rotatably carried by said support between saidtray and said magazine and formed with a peripheral cutout, a pocketcarried by said wheel at one end of said cutout, a delivery troughrockably disposed at the forward end of said guide trough and engagingthe periphery of said wheel whereby the latter will rock said deliverytrough from a depressed delivery position within said cutout to a raisedreceiving position spaced from said cutout, spherical wheel operatinmembers engageable in said magazine and said guide trough, a stop memberfixed relative to said guide trough and disposed forwardly of the latterin a position overlying said delivery trough whereby the foremostoperating member will be held in said delivery trough when the latter isin a raised inoperative and receiving position, means actuated by saiddelivery trough and engageable With the second operating member disposedimmediately behind the foremost member upon dropping of said deliverytrough to delivery position whereby the second operating member will beheld against movement into said delivery trough when the latter is indelivering position and said foremost operating member will be releasedfor gravitating movement into said pocket for rotating said wheel, andguide means fixed to said wheel and extending from said pocket forguiding an operating member into said pocket.

4. A toy comprising a base tray, an upstanding support fixed to saidtray, a magazine fixed to the upper. end of said support and disposed ina downward and forward inclination, a guide trough extending from theforward end of said magazine, a wheel rotatably carried by said supportbetween said tray and said magazine and formed with a peripheral cutout,a pocket carried by said wheel at one end of said cutout, a deand saidguide trough, a stop member fixed relative to said guide trough anddisposed forwardly of the latter in a position overlying said deliverytrough whereby the foremost operating member will be held in saiddelivery trough when the latter is in a raised inoperative and receivingposition, and means effective upon dropping of said delivery trough todelivery position and adapted to hold the second operating memberdisposed immediately behind the foremost member against movement intosaid delivery trough When the latter is in delivery position wherebysaid foremost operating member will be released for gravitating movementinto said pocket for rotating said wheel, said means including anelongated L- shaped member pivotally disposed above said guide troughand having one side thereof projectin downwardly for engagement withsaid delivery trough, and a depending stop carried by the other side ofsaid L-shaped member and disposed rearwardly of said first stop.

WILLARD A. GARBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,739,719 Gunderman Dec. 17, 1929FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 58,145 Germany Aug. 10, 1891

